This invention relates to a frame or support for holding cloth or plastic collection bags and more particularly to a holder of medical laundry and trash bags that provides bag storage and dispensing features.
It is known in the art relating to collection bag holders to use a frame having a bag supporting portion to support a non-self supporting collection bag of cloth or plastic construction.
Typically, a portion of the flexible bag adjacent its opening is disposed over the bag supporting portion and a retainer of some type is used to hold the bag on the bag supporting portion. Alternatively, a portion of the flexible bag adjacent its opening is disposed over a bag supporting loop that rests on the bag supporting portion of the frame.
These collection bag holders make no provision for feeding flexible collection bags in a rolled web form from a storage site on the holder to the bag supporting portion. Neither do these collection bag holders make any provision for storing or mounting a supply of flexible collection bags not in a rolled web form.
The present invention provides a holder for flexible collection bags that includes means for mounting a supply of flexible collection bags not in a rolled web form.
The present invention also provides a collection bag feeder for dispensing flexible collection bags from a rolled web to a bag support.
More specifically, the collection bag holder supports flexible linen and/or trash collection bags, and comprises a one-piece tubular frame. The one-piece tubular frame includes an upper bag supporting portion, a lower base portion and an intermediate upright portion.
The bag supporting portion is generally U-shaped and extends in a horizontal plane. At the ends of the U the tubes turn downwardly into the upright portion defined by parallel spaced vertically disposed segments extending downwardly. These segments then turn outwardly and continue to form the base portion. The base portion is defined by spaced end segments generally extending in a horizontal plane.
A horizontal element is mounted across the end portions of the bag supporting portion. A bag holding loop is pivotably mounted on the horizontal element such that the loop is positioned on top of the bag supporting portion. A lid is also pivotably mounted on the horizontal element. A foot operated actuator is pivotably mounted on the base portion and linkage operably connects the foot operated actuator and the lid whereby foot pressure on the actuator causes the lid to be moved toward an open position.
In one embodiment a pair of wheels or casters is mounted about the base portion together with a pair of downwardly extending supports. In another embodiment two pair of wheels or casters are mounted about the base portion.
A mount comprising one of a collection bag feeder and an attachment bag holder is fixed on the tubular frame for supporting a supply of flexible collection bags.
The attachment bag holder is a pair of spaced axially aligned posts each extending horizontally from one of the spaced segments of the upright portion toward the other of the segments.
The collection bag feeder is a basket mounted about the base of frame for dispensing a web of collection bags to the bag supporting portion. A guide mounted on the base between the spaced segments guides the web of flexible collection bags received from the basket.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.